Archive for the 'Matt Barkley' Tag Under 'USC' Category

Cody Kessler is coming back next year, and USC coach Steve Sarkisian is excited about the possibilities.

“It’s awesome having a senior quarterback,” Sarkisian said Sunday during his final teleconference of the 2014 season. “It’s about as good as it gets.

“I really think Cody will take off in this system. We have a chance to be a very, very good offensive football team next year, and a big part of that is Cody coming back.”

Kessler made the announcement in matter-of-fact fashion after passing for 321 yards and three touchdowns in USC’s 45-42 victory over Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl on Saturday night. The redshirt junior from Bakersfield said his family already knew his plans, but he wanted to delay making them public so as not to take attention away from the team.

“I didn't want to take away from the bowl game,” Kessler said. “I didn't want to take away from the senior class.

Kessler set a school record with seven touchdown passes as No. 22 USC clubbed Colorado, 56-28, in front of a homecoming crowd of 74,756 Saturday afternoon at the Coliseum. Matt Barkley held the previous record with six TD passes.

The record-breaking pass came with 6:30 left in the third quarter. After scrambling to his left, Kessler found Steven Mitchell in the left corner of the end zone. Mitchell made a diving, bobbling catch for his first career touchdown.

That TD covered 24 yards. The previous one, to Nelson Agholor, went for 75. Agholor was wide open down the middle after a double move. He established a personal best with three TD catches.

Cody Kessler tied a school record for touchdown passes in a half with five as USC took a 35-7 lead over Colorado into the locker room Saturday at the Coliseum.

Kessler, who had only one TD pass in the previous two games, joined Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley in the Trojans record book. Kessler completed 15 of 19 passes for 219 yards in the half.

Receiver Nelson Agholor and tight end Bryce Dixon each caught two TD passes. Receiver JuJu Smith had the other, his first career score. The freshman has four catches for 104 yards, his best output since Week 1.

The defense contributed to the onslaught with a pair of interceptions, by Su'a Cravens and Kevon Seymour. Seymour's came on a deflection after safety Gerald Bowman leveled Colorado receiver Bryce Bobo.

Kicker Andre Heidari is not playing for the second straight week because of a groin injury. Cornerback Adoree' Jackson has played sparingly. Jackson, who came out early last week because of groin and hip injuries, took a hard fall on the opening kickoff.

Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion is closing in on Matt Barkley’s Pac-12 record for career passing yards.

USC would like to slow Mannion’s ascent Saturday night.

Despite their overall defensive struggles against Boston College, the Trojans generally have defended the pass well. USC ranks 19th in the nation in pass defense, allowing 166.3 yards per game. The Trojans limited the Eagles to 54 yards.

But with all due respect to Boston College, its passing offense is nowhere near as sophisticated or potent as Oregon State’s. Therein lies the challenge for USC’s youthful secondary.

“This is a pro-style offense,” defensive backs coach Keith Heyward said Wednesday. “Sean Mannion’s a great quarterback. When he throws balls, they’re going to be on time. They’re going to be accurate. He can fit them into tight spaces. We’ve got to be there on those receivers.”

Greg Townsend Jr. had been blocked into Kessler’s left knee. The USC quarterback felt the pressure of the contact. But his foot slipped out from underneath the 275-pound defensive end’s body just in time. No harm done.

“It scared me more than anything,” Kessler said after fully participating in practice Friday, about 36 hours after the almost-injury occurred during a scrimmage at the Coliseum.

“You see knee injuries all the time. You never think it’s going to happen to you. It was that close to happening.”

USC quarterbacks have suffered training-camp leg injuries in the recent past. Mark Sanchez missed most of camp in 2008 before returning for Week 1. Aaron Corp’s injury in ’09 opened the door for Matt Barkley to become the Trojans’ starter.

In some ways, a lot. The most noticeable change for USC fans will be Sarkisian’s offense. The Trojans won’t huddle, and they will operate out of the shotgun almost exclusively. Predecessor Lane Kiffin was among a dwindling number of holdouts running a “pro-style” offense featuring a huddle and the quarterback starting plays from under center (although, as Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez recently noted, NFL offenses are looking a lot more like their college counterparts these days). Like Kiffin, Sarkisian will be the play-caller. Defensively, USC will continue to run a base 3-4. But in new coordinator Justin Wilcox’s system, it sometimes will morph into a 4-3 depending on the situation. Sarkisian plans to open most practices to the media and will allow the reporting of injuries, something Kiffin resisted. Sarkisian doesn’t seem as preoccupied with insignificant minutia, such as players’ numbers.

2. How good can QB Cody Kessler be?

Sarkisian believes Kessler – blessed with quick hands and a quick mind – is a perfect fit for his system. Kessler felt comfortable enough in it to teach some of its finer points to USC’s newcomers over the summer. He did just fine in the previous system, improving as the season progressed as he became more established as the Trojans’ clear-cut starter after initially sharing snaps with Max Wittek (who’s no longer with the program). In the final six games, Kessler connected on 70.8 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. (The single-season school record for completion percentage is 69.1, set by Matt Barkley in 2011.) If Kessler continues to ascend, USC could match or surpass last season’s win total of 10. The Trojans have a strong running game and plenty of perimeter playmakers for Kessler to distribute the ball to, including …

Remember on “Lost” when Jack left the island, realized it was the wrong thing to do and just had to go back?

That was the feeling I had when I left the USC beat about halfway through the 2012 season.

Don’t get me wrong: I love the NFL and always will. It’s the biggest show in town (well, not this town, but most towns). Covering that beat was a blast.

But something was missing, and I sensed it almost immediately. I missed the passion of Trojans fans. Yes, you. I missed being your conduit to all things USC. One could say I felt a little “lost” without it.

USC flies to Hawaii next Tuesday, and the Trojans still don’t have a quarterback. If this bothers the two candidates for the job, it doesn’t show, and perhaps it’s because they aren’t new to this.

Cody Kessler and Max Wittek have competed before, not only against each other -- last year, when Wittek edged Kessler for the backup spot behind Matt Barkley -- but in high school, one year and 150 miles apart. Both quarterbacks were nationally recognized recruits, but neither has ever had a job handed to him.

In 2008, as a sophomore at Centennial High in Bakersfield, Kessler was the underdog to win the starting quarterback job, as the position seemed predestined for incoming senior Bryan Maxwell.

``But (Maxwell) was also a stud receiver too, so he could play wherever,’’ Kessler said. ``But he had the job at first, and then I came in. There was a competition for a couple weeks and then I ended up winning. So it’s not something that I’m not used to.’’

Same for Wittek, who was an incoming junior in 2009 when Mater Dei High needed a quarterback to replace Barkley. Wittek, junior Jack Doll and sophomore Chase Favreau were all summer contenders for the job.

The competition hasn’t ended for USC quarterback Max Browne. It has merely shifted.

As teammates jogged off the practice field and headed for the dinner table Tuesday, Browne put in another 30 minutes of throwing and footwork drills. He panted as he walked off the field to speak with reporters for the first time since he was told, on Saturday night, that he will not be USC’s starting quarterback against Hawaii on Aug. 29.

Browne, a nationally recognized freshman from the Seattle area, competed with Max Wittek and Cody Kessler during the first week of fall camp, but he won’t win the job in camp, as Matt Barkley did in 2009.

''The work isn’t done,’’ Browne said. ''My mindset is just now competing against myself, every single day. We’ll see where the chips fall. I’m not really worried about the depth chart, but at the same time I want to make sure I’m ready to go whenever I’m called upon.’’

Browne said Coach Lane Kiffin’s decision was ''obviously disappointing,’’ but pointed to USC’s situation at receiver, at which five scholarship players are currently hurt, as an example of how fast things can change.